This article was last updated on 20/07/2025.
A bar menu sign is one of those small but essential stationery items that helps your wedding or event day run smoothly. If you’ve spent weeks picking the drinks and pairing them with your menu — the last thing you want is confused guests or complaints at the bar.
In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through how to create your own bar menu sign using one of our editable templates, a home printer, and a bit of crafting. It’s simple, stylish, and ideal for anyone who wants a clean, professional-looking menu they can set and forget.
Step 1: The Design
I highly recommend using a pre-designed editable digital template to design your sign. We have a collection of templates for bar menu signs that you can easily edit online and download as a printable PDF. Etsy also has thousands of printable templates available. With the freedom to change the fonts and colours, you can tailor the templates to suit your wedding or event theme.
Another benefit of using templates is that if you have any last minute changes or need to amend information, this can all be done quickly on the computer. This saves a TON of time and stress when you are under the pump trying to get everything organised for the big day.
Step 2: Print Your Sign
Once your design is sorted, you can either print the PDF at home or anywhere you have access to a printer. If you’re in a metro area in Australia, Officeworks is a good option. And even more conveniently, try your local library. They might have printing services available. (Speaking from experience when I needed urgent printing.) I recommend printing the sign on card stock (so anything about 200-300GSM in thickness) but if you don’t have access to that, copy paper is fine.
Step 3: Frame or Mount Your Sign
The final step is to decide on how you want to display your bar menu sign.
Framing in a Photo Frame
The easiest way to display your bar menu is to pop it into a photo frame that suits your event style. You can find decent A4 or A3 frames at IKEA, Kmart, Target, The Reject Shop, and even op shops if you’re lucky.
Mounting Onto Foam Board
If you don’t want the hassle of finding photo frames (or perhaps you’re going for an unframed look), the next easiest option is to mount your printed page onto cardboard or foam board. The process only takes about 5 minutes all up.
Step 4: Mounting Your Bar Menu Sign (Optional)
What You’ll Need
- A printed copy of your bar menu sign (and some spares just in case of mishaps)
- A3/A4 foam board or thick cardboard (like this one from Officeworks)
- Double-sided tape or glue tape (my go-to double-sided tape is the X-press It 12mm Double Sided Tape from Spotlight. In this tutorial, I’m using the Bostik Glu Tape 6mm x 12m)
- Sharp craft knife
- Metal ruler
- Pencil
- Cutting mat
Directions
1. Trim off the white edges
Most home printers can’t print right to the edge of the page, so if your sign has a coloured background, it’ll likely print with a white border. You can trim this off with scissors or a craft knife if you prefer a cleaner, full-bleed look.
2. Measure the sign against the foam board
Flip the sign over and place it face down. With the blank side facing up, align it to the bottom left corner of your foam board. If your sign is the exact same size as your foam board (for example, A4 or A3) and you didn’t trim the edges, you can skip this step. Otherwise, use a ruler and pencil to lightly mark the trim lines around the edges of your sign.
3. Trim the board
Using your ruler and the pencil marks as a guide, carefully cut the foam board to size. You may need to go over the cut a few times depending on the thickness of the board.
4. Add your adhesive
Grab your double-sided tape or glue tape and apply it to the back of your printed sign. I like to run tape along all four edges (like a frame) and add one strip down the centre for good measure. Avoid using a glue stick or liquid glue — they tend to warp the paper and make everything look a bit sad and lumpy.
5. Mount the sign
Carefully stick your sign onto the foam board, starting from one edge and smoothing it down to avoid air bubbles. If the board edges are a bit rough or uneven, you can lightly sand or trim them for a cleaner finish.
That’s it!
You now have a sturdy, professionally styled sign ready to display at your wedding or event. Easy, affordable, and actually fun!
Our Fave Bar Menu Sign Designs
Looking for a design to start with? Here are a few of the most-loved bar menu templates from our shop — all editable, printable, and ready to personalise.
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